Preview — The Universe in a Nutshell
by Stephen Hawking

The Universe in a Nutshell

Like many in the community of theoretical physicists, Professor Hawking is after the Grail of science-the Theory of Everything that lies at the heart of the cosmos. He involves us in the attempts at uncovering its secrets-from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality, and now, at the very frontiers of scienceRead by 5 CD's

Like many in the community of theoretical physicists, Professor Hawking is after the Grail of science-the Theory of Everything that lies at the heart of the cosmos. He involves us in the attempts at uncovering its secrets-from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality, and now, at the very frontiers of science, superstring theory and p-branes. He shares his eagerness to "combine Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Richard Feynman's idea of multiple histories into a complete unified theory that will describe everything that happens in the universe."

With characteristic exuberance, Hawking invites us to be fellow travelers on this extraordinary voyage through spacetime....more

Popular Answered Questions

Britain PetersHawking's "A Brief History of Time" is a good place to start; the ideas cover the basics of physical laws and how the universe operates. Hawking…moreHawking's "A Brief History of Time" is a good place to start; the ideas cover the basics of physical laws and how the universe operates. Hawking states that this book is a follow up to ABHOT, but it can be read by itself (ABHOT recommended though).(less)

Now I read this book cover to cover, line-by-line, methodically going back over passages that were "challenging", line-by-line, got to the last page, closed the book and said out loud; "Nope, sorry Steve, you lost me there".

Hawking is an exceedingly clear and occasionally quite funny writer, not easy when the topic is quantum physics, etc. I would be lying if I claimed to understand much of this book, especially in the audiobook format in which an exceedingly pleasant British voice hurls a flood of Hawking's words and concepts, one more challenging than the previous one. It might, repeat: might, have been possible to understand this material on a printed page, which in this case included a lot of nifty diagrams, onHawking is an exceedingly clear and occasionally quite funny writer, not easy when the topic is quantum physics, etc. I would be lying if I claimed to understand much of this book, especially in the audiobook format in which an exceedingly pleasant British voice hurls a flood of Hawking's words and concepts, one more challenging than the previous one. It might, repeat: might, have been possible to understand this material on a printed page, which in this case included a lot of nifty diagrams, on the presumption that repetition might have helped. But probably not. I did enjoy and generally understand the opening chapter in which Hawking explained the history of physics and our conception of the universe, with a beautiful presentation of the life and work of Einstein, and to a lesser extent his contemporaries and immediate intellectual followers. But after that, when Hawking moved into contemporary physics and the exploration of the cosmos (where he made his own contributions, mind you), I was mostly gasping for air, down for the count, you get the idea. Once I let go of the expectation that I could actually master the material, I kind of enjoyed the periodic appearance of concepts and phrases I had sort-of known about arrive in their natural and proper context, things like string theory, black holes, quanta, Heisenberg principle, nebula, etc. Perhaps more than anything, I enjoyed the ebulliance and delight with which Hawking presents his material, as if it is the simplest and most fun thing ever... which to him, it probably is....more

Stephen Hawking, stated in, " The Universe in a Nutshell" that our history is filled with infinite potentiality and what we "got” was due to disturbing the quantum field by our "observations." Profound, I thought, and pondered about his theory for months.

To better understand Dr. Hawking's theory, I read everything on quantum physics I could understand and a pile of books on the brain, Bruce Hood's "The Self Illusion" was the most helpful. Below is what I believe correlates with Hawking's theoryStephen Hawking, stated in, " The Universe in a Nutshell" that our history is filled with infinite potentiality and what we "got” was due to disturbing the quantum field by our "observations." Profound, I thought, and pondered about his theory for months.

To better understand Dr. Hawking's theory, I read everything on quantum physics I could understand and a pile of books on the brain, Bruce Hood's "The Self Illusion" was the most helpful. Below is what I believe correlates with Hawking's theory, It is from the book, The Nature of Personal Reality, by Jane Roberts, (Seth Material) I have included a quote and then how I am seeing life now through a magical lens.

"An examination of your conscious thoughts will tell you much about the state of your inner mind, your intentions and expectations, and will often lead you to a direct confrontation with challenges and problems. Your thoughts, studied , will let you see where you are going. They point clearly to the nature of physical events. What exists physically existed first in thought and feeling. There is no other rule.

What if our "observations" were first feeling-tone shared by all consciousness focused in physical reality. The cells and organs have their own awarenesses, and a gestalt one. So the race of man also has individual consciousness and a gestalt or mass consciousness of which makes up our physical reality. While physical we follow physical laws, or assumptions. These form the framework for corporeal expression. Within this framework you have full freedom to create your experience, your personal life in all of its aspects; the living picture of the world, your personal life, and to some extent your individual living experience, helped create the world as it is known in your time.

It is important before we continue that you realize that consciousness is within all physical phenomena, however. It is vital that you realize your position within nature. Nature is created from within. The personal life that you know rises up from within you, yet is given. period. Since you are part of Being, then in a certain fashion you give yourself the life that is being lived through you." ~ Jane Roberts, Seth Material.

“Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.” ― Stephen Hawking

When I fully realized my entire reality was created by me, and global consciousness, I could chose what to give my attention to for the change I wanted to see. The more you examine your thoughts and feelings the more excited you'll get when what you were thinking about appears. You'll notice "integrity" plays a role as well, (even when no one but you knows what good things you've done), because it's "liking yourself" that is most important in your ability to thrive without limitations. It only works if you truly believe.

Just like Yoda said, “there is no try, only do.”

Whatever you hold in your consciousness you put in your reality. If you are thinking about something, it will appear in a similar form. Don't get scared when you notice you have a lot of negative thoughts, about yourself and the world. These types of "thoughts" are your current vibration, giving you the reality you have now. Any change towards better inner-feelings about yourself and your surroundings will show up immediately in a in an event confirming your power to create your reality. I am now excited about cleaning up my thoughts -especially my deep inner feelings that were not as great as I wanted them to be.

Below are examples of limiting beliefs you may want to remove.

Example of limiting thoughts:1. My behavior is hidden in my subconsciousness. 2. My life is a result of my childhood, or Karma, 3. Old age causes illness and regression. 4. People are out to screw me. Or People don't like me.5. I am not smart enough, good enough, someone is better than me.6. My religion is the right one, and so are my beliefs. 7. I have no control over the events in my life.8. I am fat.9. There is something wrong with money. People who have it are greedy, less spiritual than those who are poor. They are unhappier, and snobs.

These are all beliefs held by many people. Those who have them will meet them in experience. Physical data will always seem to reinforce the beliefs, therefore, but the beliefs formed the reality.

"The ego, which is ever changing based on a flow of new experiences looks out upon physical reality and surveys it in relation to those characteristics of which it is composed at any given time. It makes its judgments according to its own idea of itself." ~Jane Roberts

I try to catch myself in conversation making jokes about myself, and stop it. )

When science has proven "consciousness creates everything in our reality" our focus will turn to beautiful stories, ideas and breathtaking environments. We will spot giving our attention to garbage news stories filled with violence and fear; because we don't believe what we hold these emotions in our consciousness mind.

If I could ask Dr. Hawking one question it would be this:You said that we collapse waves when we observe an event. But what if-- our expectation collapsed the wave, our belief before the form existed. If this is true, consciousness is creating the collapsing of the field based on our inner-emotions, which would make the unpopular words, like "emotions, feelings and insights" the most valuable of all our senses.

I learned most of my beliefs were secondhand and limiting, so I jumped those fences!I documented my journey in my memoir, "From Hollywood to God," by Kelly Granite Enckhttp://www.amazon.com/From-Hollywood-...I am leaving the link for those, like me, who love to explore the Inner Journey of the Mind!

First of all, I expected the Hawking's electronic voice for narrating the audiobook. Though it might sound silly, I'm more fond of his unique voice.

After his international bestseller, A Brief History of Time in 80s, he wanted to propagandize the current frontier we're encountering but this time in a more brief way. The First two chapters serve as a prerequisite for proper understanding. Short but very well explained introductory concepts of Einstein-Relativity stuffs; Maybe because i used to reaFirst of all, I expected the Hawking's electronic voice for narrating the audiobook. Though it might sound silly, I'm more fond of his unique voice.

After his international bestseller, A Brief History of Time in 80s, he wanted to propagandize the current frontier we're encountering but this time in a more brief way. The First two chapters serve as a prerequisite for proper understanding. Short but very well explained introductory concepts of Einstein-Relativity stuffs; Maybe because i used to read a lot of books in that subject (I've read more books on relativity than automobile engineering in which I've got a bachelor's recently).

Weirdness of Quantum Mechanics and its unification attempts with relativity at the initial conditions of the universe. Time and extra dimensions for the maintenance of consistencies. Some little dip in the chaos theory but too much idea regarding it in this book.

Some chapters on his (and his colleagues) attempts on the formulations of the Quantum Gravity theory, then evolving into Super Gravity, then String theories and eventually m-theory atleast for now (Eventually is not the correct usage).

Blackhole information paradox and the concepts of imaginary time are correlated to hinder the optimistic possibilities of Time Travel atleast for now. The Paradox is a puzzle resulting from the combination of quantum mechanics and general relativity. I feel personally that this Part needs revisiting again. Even the simple terms and explanations, these are much more complex topics undergoing tedious *theoritical* research currently. He also reassures the readers sarcastically that this might be a part of government cover up for Time Travel Conspiracy; You get to know only when you get to meet one like HG Wells.

What I can assure is, that one could get a better view on string theory based M-theory which currently has the higher chance to become the Theory of Everything and the concepts of brane worlds.

Yes, I'm a dork, and in addition to reading grammar books for fun, I also read science books. I've been told that Stephen Hawking is not as complicated to read as one might assume. While I did learn a lot from this book, I also was left with a lot more questions. Furthermore, the illustrations were either confusing or totally unnecessary.

While it isn't that bad (it's actually very good), in comparison with Brief History, it seems only to have many more illustrations and fewer thorough explanations.

I understand that Hawking tried to write a popular science book with a branching non-linear structure without depending heavily on what has been said in the previous chapters, but I don't think that's actually possible. At least I honestly doubt it could be done without losing a signifI really liked "A Brief History of Time" much more.

While it isn't that bad (it's actually very good), in comparison with Brief History, it seems only to have many more illustrations and fewer thorough explanations.

I understand that Hawking tried to write a popular science book with a branching non-linear structure without depending heavily on what has been said in the previous chapters, but I don't think that's actually possible. At least I honestly doubt it could be done without losing a significant portion of quality and precision.

I don't know, I read too much about these kinds of things anyway so I guess I might not be right, it could be just what an intelligent layman without too much time needs. But that's a big maybe. Try it, after all, I put 4 stars up there for a reason....more

I really enjoyed A Brief History of Time and so was looking forward to The Universe in a Nutshell and its updated material. I was hoping it would be a "dumbed down" version of some of the high-end theoretical physics ideas that I haven't had the time or brain cells to keep up with.

While I'm sure the content is dumbed down from Stephen Hawking's level, most of it is covered at a level and speed that kept it out of my comprehension. To be honest I find a lot of modern theories and ideas very skeptI really enjoyed A Brief History of Time and so was looking forward to The Universe in a Nutshell and its updated material. I was hoping it would be a "dumbed down" version of some of the high-end theoretical physics ideas that I haven't had the time or brain cells to keep up with.

While I'm sure the content is dumbed down from Stephen Hawking's level, most of it is covered at a level and speed that kept it out of my comprehension. To be honest I find a lot of modern theories and ideas very skeptical - it almost seems to me that the theories are created and given weight because they might be possible... and that's good enough because to prove otherwise is incredibly difficult. A part of me (no doubt remnants of thinking left there by my college professors) downplays my pessimism and wants to believe them at face value. In this book I was looking to confirm that part, but it just didn't happen.

There didn't seem to be any real explanations or support (or maybe it was above my head and I zoned out). It was simply describing the theories (e.g., M Theory) and presenting them as fact. (We used to call this "hand waving" in my Physics classes in college - like a magician's hand waving as misdirection.)

There were a lot of good parts that were interesting and engaging. Near the end there was a part on the evolution of life on Earth and humans that was really intriguing. It had to do with DNA as a form of evolutionary method of saving data which has now been augmented by humans' ability to store information outside of our DNA now. And I do now have a better understanding of the framework on some modern theories (like multi-dimensions) that I didn't have before. I particularly liked coming to a better understanding of the theory of our perception of reality being a mere projection of 4 dimensions (3d + time) that derives from a "real" existence that exists in a 5 dimensional "membrane" universe (much like a 3d object casts a 2d shadow). Cool stuff.

I do not yet have intellect enough to comprehend the entirety of the book. However, for the extent I managed to understand, I must say it was incredibly brilliant. I didn't begin the book with the expectation of thorough understanding, so there was no disappointment. Furthermore, it was actually a relief that I could get a lot of the stuff in the book considering the fact that it is written by Hawking. I am glad I gave it a try. I will boldly explore science non-fiction from now on.

As for the wrI do not yet have intellect enough to comprehend the entirety of the book. However, for the extent I managed to understand, I must say it was incredibly brilliant. I didn't begin the book with the expectation of thorough understanding, so there was no disappointment. Furthermore, it was actually a relief that I could get a lot of the stuff in the book considering the fact that it is written by Hawking. I am glad I gave it a try. I will boldly explore science non-fiction from now on.

As for the writing, his simple language coupled with complicated theories resulted in a good flow. There is occasional intelligent humour that makes you chuckle in delight and subtle satire that helps you connect with Hawking....more

Reading about your UNIVERSE for the first time, in such a detailed explanation for what the writer aims to tell based on his wide knowledge in Quantum mechanics, theoretical physics and cosmology , necessarily requires a knowledgeable reader in the sciences I've just mentioned so he/she wouldn't be perplexed and then, he would get answers for many questions that may flash in his mind.

In addition to the diverse information thatIt was my first ride with Stephen Hawking , and it wasn't bad at all.

Reading about your UNIVERSE for the first time, in such a detailed explanation for what the writer aims to tell based on his wide knowledge in Quantum mechanics, theoretical physics and cosmology , necessarily requires a knowledgeable reader in the sciences I've just mentioned so he/she wouldn't be perplexed and then, he would get answers for many questions that may flash in his mind.

In addition to the diverse information that one can get from reading this , he quietly doesn't get bored due to Hawking's sense of humor.

It is highly recommended for those who care much about the universe and its studies. ...more

This is my first time ever audio book. It is enjoyable, esspecially because of the voice - is calm. I am used to listening to scientific materials, most of them in form of debates. But listening to an audio book is nothing compared to reading - you cannot turn back the page or re-read a passage, you cannot make notes with a pencil on the page, you cannot highlight key definitions, aseertions, or conclusions in the text. Eye-sight is also a much more efficient tool in gathering information than tThis is my first time ever audio book. It is enjoyable, esspecially because of the voice - is calm. I am used to listening to scientific materials, most of them in form of debates. But listening to an audio book is nothing compared to reading - you cannot turn back the page or re-read a passage, you cannot make notes with a pencil on the page, you cannot highlight key definitions, aseertions, or conclusions in the text. Eye-sight is also a much more efficient tool in gathering information than the ear. ...more

My rating is based on how genius SH is and the innovative and complicated theories he is up to explain to a lay audience. But definitely my choice of media was not wise as getting this information via an audiobook brought my comprehension to less than 50%. If I have the chance to read the illustrated version of the book, I expect to increase my chances of absorbing such fantastic but complicated concepts.

It's natural for our minds to wonder beyond the narrow confines of what's known, hence why not take that chance and adhere to your curious streak?!

This illuminating and enlightening book takes one on the most thrilling venture through space and time, wherein extraordinary marvels lie in wait. The true genius of Stephen Hawking is something that cannot fail to surprise, as this book is filled with pages of diagrams and fantastically detailed images. The complexities, excentricities and ideas ofIt's natural for our minds to wonder beyond the narrow confines of what's known, hence why not take that chance and adhere to your curious streak?!

This illuminating and enlightening book takes one on the most thrilling venture through space and time, wherein extraordinary marvels lie in wait. The true genius of Stephen Hawking is something that cannot fail to surprise, as this book is filled with pages of diagrams and fantastically detailed images. The complexities, excentricities and ideas of such a man is brilliantly captured in every page, therefore you'll never quite regard space and the universe in the same way ever again.

'It's all a matter of where one places themselves in life's continuous timeline'

Here are some of my favourite quotes that I gained inspiration from the book...

What keeps one grounded inevitably is slow in its origin

That which fluctuates in peaks and troughs isn't generally relative to the common norm

'Politics for the moment, but an equation for eternity!' --Albert Einstein

'Nothing puzzles me like time and space. And yet nothing troubles me less than time and space, because i never think of them' --19th century author, Charles Lamb

A scientific theory is a mathematical model that describes and codifies the observations we make. A good theory will describe a large range of phenomena on the basis of a few simple observations and will make definite predictions that can be tested. --FACT!

Creation is hierachal like Dante's inferno, and we're all sinking with a gravitational pull!

Time travel is possible with a vast imagination!

Does one drift around in various areas (reflection), or move with the time's (progression)?

This book is essential reading for those budding scientists keen to understand more about are universe, as it's packed with fascinating facts from a true legend and clever mind. You may say that there are different expressions to explain the same underlying theory, which is true, however Hawking's is one of the easier to understand and the most informative. The universe in a nutshell guides you on the search to discover those hidden secrets beyond our stratosphere, such as; supersymetry, M-theory, holography and many more while combining other scientists imput. Ideas from Einstein's general theory of relativity, and Richard Feynman's histories are included all in this fantastic compendium of knowledge. I certainly enjoyed reading this book and found it most informative and instructive for my own study purposes.

Next to read: * A brief history of time* Black holes and baby universes and other essays...more

This is a kind of follow up for Hawking A Brief History of Time which sold over 10 million copies. The idea behind it -other than making a lit of money- according o the author is to explore some of the topic that were put in late chapters in the aforementioned book that were perhaps not read as well as sharing the later scientific discoveries (the first book was published in 1988, this one in 2001).

Just as the first book the Hawking writings in general, the book is mostly easy to understand althThis is a kind of follow up for Hawking A Brief History of Time which sold over 10 million copies. The idea behind it -other than making a lit of money- according o the author is to explore some of the topic that were put in late chapters in the aforementioned book that were perhaps not read as well as sharing the later scientific discoveries (the first book was published in 1988, this one in 2001).

Just as the first book the Hawking writings in general, the book is mostly easy to understand although it is not as good. In it he takles the follow tooics/questions: Einstein and the theories of special and general relativity, cosmological constant, What is time, String theory, Blackhole radiation, Time travel, Scientific discoveries in the early 20th century such as the existence of other galaxies and Expanding universe, Feyman's interpretation of quantum physics, Does the universe have a beginning or is it infinite?, The anthropic principle, History and future of the universeAstrology and future prediction, Scientific Determinism and uncertainty principle, Blackholes and predictions, Wormholes, Future of humanity, M theory, dark matter, artificial intelligence and Gravitational waves....more

Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. His parents' house was in north London, but during the second world war Oxford was considered a safer place to have babies. When he was eight, his family moved to St Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At eleven Stephen went to St Albans School, and then on to University College, Oxford, his father's old college. SteStephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. His parents' house was in north London, but during the second world war Oxford was considered a safer place to have babies. When he was eight, his family moved to St Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At eleven Stephen went to St Albans School, and then on to University College, Oxford, his father's old college. Stephen wanted to do Mathematics, although his father would have preferred medicine. Mathematics was not available at University College, so he did Physics instead. After three years and not very much work he was awarded a first class honours degree in Natural Science.

Stephen then went on to Cambridge to do research in Cosmology, there being no-one working in that area in Oxford at the time. His supervisor was Denis Sciama, although he had hoped to get Fred Hoyle who was working in Cambridge. After gaining his Ph.D. he became first a Research Fellow, and later on a Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. After leaving the Institute of Astronomy in 1973 Stephen came to the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and since 1979 has held the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. The chair was founded in 1663 with money left in the will of the Reverend Henry Lucas, who had been the Member of Parliament for the University. It was first held by Isaac Barrow, and then in 1669 by Isaac Newton.

Stephen Hawking has worked on the basic laws which govern the universe. With Roger Penrose he showed that Einstein's General Theory of Relativity implied space and time would have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes. These results indicated it was necessary to unify General Relativity with Quantum Theory, the other great Scientific development of the first half of the 20th Century. One consequence of such a unification that he discovered was that black holes should not be completely black, but should emit radiation and eventually evaporate and disappear. Another conjecture is that the universe has no edge or boundary in imaginary time. This would imply that the way the universe began was completely determined by the laws of science.

His many publications include The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime with G.F.R. Ellis, General Relativity: An Einstein Centenary Survey, with W. Israel, and 300 Years of Gravity, with W. Israel. Stephen Hawking has three popular books published; his best seller A Brief History of Time, Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays and most recently in 2001, The Universe in a Nutshell. There are .pdf and .ps versions of his full publication list.

Professor Hawking has twelve honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982, and was made a Companion of Honour in 1989. He is the recipient of many awards, medals and prizes and is a Fellow of The Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Stephen Hawking continues to combine family life (he has three children and one grandchild), and his research into theoretical physics together with an extensive programme of travel and public lectures. ...more